1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for processing an image of an object shot by an infrared camera mounted in a mobile body and displaying image information regarding the object on an image display device mounted in the mobile body, a program for imparting the image information processing function to a computer, and an automobile as the mobile body provided with the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, there has been proposed a technology whereby, based on an image of an object (human being) shot by an infrared camera mounted in an automobile, an image area associated with the object is displayed on an image display device mounted in the automobile (e.g., claim 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-134508).
There are some cases where image areas displayed on an image display device exhibit instability, such as a sudden change in their position, size or number, mainly because of the characteristics of infrared cameras, or because the relative motions of an automobile and an object are relatively rapid, or if an object is hidden behind another object.
For example, in a state wherein a rectangular image area A1 associated with a human being 01, which is an object, is being highlighted on an image display device, as shown in FIG. 5(a), if the light of a head lamp of an automobile 02 near the human being 01 is intensified, then the image area A1 associated with the head lamp is highlighted in some cases, as shown in FIG. 5(b) and FIG. 5(c). Furthermore, if the relative motions of the automobile and the human being 01 are rapid, as in a case where the automobile is running at a relatively high speed while turning left in the state shown in FIG. 5(a), then the recognition of the human being 01 sometimes fails to catch up with the relative motions, causing the image area A1 associated with the human being 01 to disappear from the image display device. Moreover, if a part of the body of the human being 01 is hid behind the automobile 02, then the image area A1 highlighted on the image display device reduces to include only a part of the body of the human being 01, as shown in FIG. 5(d), or the image area A1 disappears from the image display device, as shown in FIG. 5(e), in some cases. The instability of the image area A1 highlighted on the image display device described above may cause a driver or the like of the automobile, who watches the image display device, to feel insecure.